Kicking Rules by Level: What Actually Changes Between High School, College and the NFL
A kicker who learned the game watching the NFL and plays high school football is operating with a rulebook that does not apply to them — and the differences show up in exactly the situations that matter.
⚠️ Read this first. Kicking rules differ by level, by governing body and by country, and they are revised regularly — kickoff formats in particular have changed repeatedly in recent years. This guide explains which areas differ and why they matter to you. It is not a rulebook and must not be used as one. For any specific provision, check the current rulebook for your own competition or ask your coaching staff.
Here is why this matters more than it sounds. Most kickers absorb the rules by watching football on television, which means they are absorbing one specific rulebook — usually the professional one. Then they play under a different set, and the assumptions they never knew they had turn out to be wrong.
The consequences are practical rather than theoretical: a kicker who does not know their extra point distance cannot practise it properly, one who assumes the wrong tee rules turns up with illegal equipment, and one who does not understand their level’s kickoff format cannot know whether a touchback is a good outcome.
This guide covers the areas where levels genuinely differ, why each difference changes something for you, and how to find the current answer for your own competition.
📋 What’s in this guide
What Is the Same Everywhere
Reassuringly, the fundamentals do not move.
Goalpost width. The uprights are the same distance apart across the major American levels — commonly cited as 18 feet 6 inches. This is why a target you set up in practice is valid regardless of where you play.
A field goal scores three points. Everywhere.
The ball must pass above the crossbar and between the uprights. The basic definition of a successful kick does not vary.
The technique. Nothing about your approach, plant, contact or follow-through changes because of a rulebook.
The operation. Snap, hold, kick, with protection buying you time. Structurally identical at every level.
Player safety principles. All levels prohibit dangerous contact including leading with the crown of the helmet, and all provide some protection to a kicker in the act of kicking — though the specific provisions vary.
The kick does not change. What changes is where you take it from, what happens afterwards, and what you are allowed to put under the ball.
The Areas That Genuinely Differ
A map of where to look, with the practical consequence of each.
| Area | How much it varies | Why it matters to you | Stability |
|---|---|---|---|
| Extra point distance | Substantially | Changes what you must practise | Fairly stable, but has changed |
| Kickoff format and spot | Substantially | Changes what a good kickoff even is | Revised frequently — check every season |
| Touchback placement | Substantially | Decides whether a touchback is good or bad | Revised frequently |
| Hash mark position | Substantially | Changes the angle on most kicks | Stable |
| Kicking tee permissions | Substantially | Determines legal equipment | Fairly stable, varies by level |
| Onside kick provisions | Moderately | Affects a rare but decisive play | Revised in recent years |
| Kicker protection specifics | Moderately | Affects your exposure after the kick | Fairly stable |
| Overtime kicking situations | Substantially | Changes late-game scenarios | Revised periodically |
| Field goal miss spotting | Moderately | Affects whether a long attempt is worth it | Stable |
Note the stability column. Some of these are settled and some are actively moving. Kickoff formats and touchback placements in particular have been revised repeatedly across levels in recent years, largely driven by player safety, which means any figure you learned two seasons ago deserves re-checking.
Extra Points
The clearest and most practically significant difference.
The professional game moved its extra point back. The NFL snaps the try from further out than college or high school, making it a genuine field goal attempt of roughly 33 yards rather than a short chip.
College and high school kept it short. Both snap from much closer, producing an attempt of roughly 20 yards.
Why this matters to your practice. A 20-yard extra point and a 33-yard one are different kicks with different failure modes. At 20 yards, a slightly poor strike still goes in and the operation is the main risk. At 33, small errors start to matter and the kick itself carries more of the risk.
The pressure is identical at both. Make it and nobody notices; miss it and it is the story of the game. Our extra point guide covers that asymmetry in depth.
Two-point conversion rules also vary, including where the try is snapped from and whether a defensive score is possible — which affects the decisions your coach makes, and therefore how often you are on the field.
Kickoffs and Touchbacks
The most changeable area in kicking, and the one worth re-checking every single season.
Formats have been substantially revised. Levels have introduced different formations, restrictions on running starts, changes to where the receiving team lines up, and in some cases entirely new kickoff structures — largely aimed at reducing high-speed collisions.
Touchback placement is the practical question. Where the ball is spotted after a touchback determines whether kicking it out of the end zone is a good outcome or a wasted opportunity. If touchbacks are spotted generously for the receiving team, a well-placed high kick that gets covered may be worth far more than a deep one.
This changes what you should practise. A kicker at a level where touchbacks are penalised should be working on directional placement and hang time. A kicker where touchbacks are favourable should be working on distance. Those are different training priorities.
Onside kick rules have also moved. Restrictions on formation and running starts have changed the viability of the traditional onside kick at some levels, and alternative provisions have been introduced or trialled.
Which means: ask your coach every pre-season. Not once, every year. Our kickoff guide covers the technique; the rules decide what you point it at.
💡 Ask one specific question in pre-season: “Given our rules this year, is a touchback a good outcome for us?” The answer determines whether you spend the season training for distance or for placement and hang time. It is a thirty-second conversation that shapes months of practice, and remarkably few kickers ever have it.
Hash Marks and Your Angle
An under-discussed difference with a real effect on your job.
Hash marks are spaced differently at each level. They are narrowest in the professional game and progressively wider at college and high school level. The ball is spotted on or between them depending on where the previous play ended.
Wider hashes mean sharper angles. A kicker at a level with wide hash marks faces more severe angles on a larger share of their attempts than a professional does. This is a genuine reason high school kicking is harder in a way that is rarely acknowledged.
It changes what you should practise. If your level has wide hashes, angle work is not an optional extra — it is a substantial fraction of the kicks you will actually take.
It also affects your realistic range from the hash. A 40-yard attempt from a wide hash is a harder kick than a 40-yard attempt from the middle, and your reported range should account for that.
And it interacts with which foot you kick with. One hash will feel more comfortable than the other, and which one depends on your kicking foot. Our left-footed guide covers that mirror.
Tees and Equipment
Where a rules misunderstanding turns into an equipment problem.
| Equipment question | What varies by level | Consequence of getting it wrong | How to check |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tee use on kickoffs | Whether permitted at all | Illegal equipment on the field | Current rulebook; ask your coach |
| Permitted tee height | Maximum height allowed | Illegal tee; a different kick than you practised | Rulebook; check before buying |
| Tee use for field goals | Generally not permitted in competition | Practising on something you cannot use | Rulebook |
| Kicking blocks | Whether permitted, and specifications | Illegal equipment | Rulebook |
| Stud and cleat regulations | Length and type restrictions | Equipment check failure | Rulebook; ask before buying screw-ins |
| Ball specification and pressure | Permitted range and procedures | Non-compliant ball | Rulebook; designated officials |
| Protective equipment requirements | What is mandatory | Not permitted to play | Programme and rulebook |
The tee is the one that catches people out most. A kicker who buys a tee based on what they saw in a professional game may end up with something not permitted at their own level — and worse, may spend a season practising on a ball presentation they cannot legally use. Our tee rules guide covers the general position, but check yours specifically before buying.
Equipment
💰 On prices and ratings: we do not print them — both change constantly and stale figures mislead. Each button opens live Amazon results for current pricing, availability and genuine buyer reviews. Always confirm equipment legality for your own competition before purchasing.
Football Kicking Tee
Buy the Height Your Rules Allow
Permitted tee heights vary by level, and buying based on what you saw on television is the classic error. Confirm the maximum height for your competition first, then buy that — and practise on the same thing you will use.
✅ What’s good
- Consistent ball presentation
- Durable under heavy use
- Inexpensive
- Essential for kickoff work
⚠️ Keep in mind
- Legality varies by level
- Degrades over a season
👤 Best for: Kickoff specialists — confirm your rulebook before buying, not after.
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Moulded Stud Cleats
The Safe Default on Stud Rules
Stud regulations vary and screw-in studs are restricted at some levels. Moulded studs are permitted more broadly and handle most grass conditions, which makes them the lower-risk choice if you are unsure.
✅ What’s good
- Fewer regulatory complications
- Handles most grass conditions
- No stud changing needed
- Widely available
⚠️ Keep in mind
- Insufficient on very soft ground
- Uncomfortable on turf
👤 Best for: Kickers unsure of their competition’s stud regulations.
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Training Cones
Building the Angles Your Level Actually Produces
If your level has wide hash marks, sharp angles are a large share of your real attempts. Cones let you set up genuine hash-width angle work rather than practising from the middle and hoping.
✅ What’s good
- Replicates your actual attempts
- Also the key mechanics tool
- Packs completely flat
- Trivially cheap
⚠️ Keep in mind
- Move in wind
- Need collecting
👤 Best for: Kickers at levels with wide hash marks — which is most below professional.
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Measuring Wheel
Setting Distances That Match Your Rules
Practising your extra point at the wrong distance is a real risk if you learned the game watching a different level. A measuring wheel lets you set the exact distance your competition actually uses.
✅ What’s good
- Ensures you practise the right kick
- Reusable indefinitely
- Also useful for measuring results
- Simple
⚠️ Keep in mind
- Unnecessary on a marked field
- Bulky to carry
👤 Best for: Kickers practising on unmarked ground or open fields.
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Ball Pressure Gauge
Staying Inside the Permitted Range
Ball pressure is specified by rule as a range, and an unchecked bag drifts below it over time. A gauge keeps your practice balls compliant and, more usefully, consistent.
✅ What’s good
- Keeps balls within the permitted range
- Removes a silent variable
- Pocket-sized and cheap
- Useful all season
⚠️ Keep in mind
- Easy to lose
- Game balls may not be yours to adjust
👤 Best for: Anyone maintaining their own practice balls.
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Training Log
Recording What Your Rules Actually Are
Writing down your level’s PAT distance, touchback spot, tee rules and hash spacing at the start of each season means you are training for the game you are actually playing.
✅ What’s good
- Keeps your training aligned to your rules
- Prompts the pre-season conversation
- Cheap and simple
- Useful year to year
⚠️ Keep in mind
- Requires the habit
- Must be updated each season
👤 Best for: Every kicker at a level where rules have changed recently — which is most.
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Finding the Current Answer
Since this guide deliberately does not give you figures to rely on, here is how to get reliable ones.
- Ask your coaching staff first. They are responsible for knowing, they have the current rulebook, and it is a completely normal question.
- Find the governing body for your competition. High school rules typically come from a state or national federation; college and professional levels have their own rule-making bodies. Identify yours specifically.
- Use the official rulebook, not a summary. Secondary sources go stale quickly, especially on kickoffs.
- Check the date on anything you read. A rules explainer from three seasons ago may be wrong in exactly the areas that changed.
- Re-check every pre-season. Not once. Kickoff and touchback provisions in particular have moved repeatedly.
- Ask about the four that affect you most: extra point distance, touchback placement, permitted tee, and hash spacing.
- Write the answers down. Then build your season’s training around them.
Common Mistakes
❌ 1. Assuming professional rules apply to you
Most kickers absorb the game from television, which means absorbing one specific rulebook.
✅ Fix: Identify your own governing body and check its current rules.
❌ 2. Practising extra points at the wrong distance
A 20-yard try and a 33-yard try are different kicks with different failure modes.
✅ Fix: Confirm your level’s distance and practise that one.
❌ 3. Buying a tee without checking legality
Permitted heights vary, and an illegal tee means either a penalty or a season practising on something you cannot use.
✅ Fix: Confirm the maximum permitted height before purchasing.
❌ 4. Not knowing your touchback placement
It determines whether kicking it deep is a success or a wasted opportunity.
✅ Fix: Ask in pre-season, then train for distance or placement accordingly.
❌ 5. Ignoring hash mark width
Wider hashes mean sharper angles on a large share of your attempts.
✅ Fix: Practise from your actual hash positions, not from the middle.
❌ 6. Checking the rules once and never again
Kickoff and touchback provisions have been revised repeatedly across levels.
✅ Fix: Re-check every pre-season, and note the answers.
❌ 7. Relying on an undated online summary
Secondary sources go stale fastest in exactly the areas that change most.
✅ Fix: Use the official current rulebook, or ask your coach.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are kicking rules the same at every level?
No. Goalpost width, the value of a field goal and the basic definition of a successful kick are consistent, but extra point distance, kickoff format, touchback placement, hash mark spacing and permitted equipment all vary.
Several of those — kickoffs and touchbacks especially — have also been revised repeatedly in recent years, so check your own competition’s current rulebook rather than relying on any summary.
How far is an extra point at each level?
The professional game moved its try back so that it is roughly a 33-yard attempt, while college and high school kept it short at roughly 20 yards.
This matters for practice: a 20-yard try is mostly an operation risk, while a 33-yard try puts meaningfully more of the risk on the kick itself. Confirm the exact figure for your competition.
Do hash marks affect kicking?
Significantly. Hash marks are narrowest in the professional game and progressively wider at college and high school level, which means lower levels face sharper angles on a larger share of attempts.
If your level has wide hashes, angle work is a substantial part of your actual job rather than an optional extra — and your reported range should reflect that a kick from a wide hash is harder than the same distance from the middle.
Are kicking tees legal at my level?
It depends on the level and the situation. Tee use on kickoffs and permitted tee heights vary, and tees are generally not permitted for field goal attempts in competition.
Confirm the specifics for your competition before buying, because the practical risk is not just an illegal tee — it is spending a season practising on a ball presentation you cannot legally use.
Why do kickoff rules keep changing?
Largely player safety. Kickoffs involve high-speed collisions across open space, and governing bodies at several levels have revised formats, running starts, formations and touchback placements to reduce that exposure.
The practical consequence for kickers is that this is the area most worth re-checking every single pre-season.
Where do I find the rules that apply to me?
Ask your coaching staff first — they are responsible for knowing and have the current rulebook. Then identify your actual governing body, which for high school is typically a state or national federation.
Use the official current rulebook rather than a summary, check the date on anything you read, and focus on the four that affect you most: extra point distance, touchback placement, permitted tee and hash spacing.
Rules Checklist
- Your governing body identified specifically
- Current official rulebook located, not a summary
- Extra point distance confirmed for your level
- Kickoff format confirmed this season
- Touchback placement confirmed this season
- “Is a touchback good for us?” asked and answered
- Hash mark spacing known and practised from
- Tee legality and permitted height confirmed before buying
- Stud and cleat regulations checked
- Ball pressure range confirmed
- Onside kick provisions checked for this season
- Kicker protection provisions understood
- Overtime kicking scenarios understood
- All answers written down and rechecked next pre-season
The bottom line: the kick is identical everywhere — what changes is where you take it from, what happens after it lands, and what you are allowed to put under the ball. Four answers shape your whole season: your extra point distance, your touchback placement, your permitted tee and your hash spacing. Get those from your coach or your actual rulebook rather than from television, write them down, and check them again next pre-season, because the kickoff rules in particular will very likely have moved.
Keep Going
🏈 Tee RulesEquipment legality
🎯 Extra PointsWhere the distance difference bites
📚 Kicking GlossaryThe terminology behind the rules
As an Amazon Associate we may earn from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you. This article explains where rules differ between levels and is not a rulebook. Provisions vary by governing body and country and are revised regularly — always confirm current rules with your coaching staff or your competition’s official rulebook.